Not Alone Verse: One-Shots and Drabbles
by LauGS
Summary: When it comes to love, family, happiness and tears, there are always more stories to tell.
1. Animal Love

**Hello everyone and welcome!**

**I wasn't planning to start with this yet, but... what the hell, I had it ready, why wait?**

**I wrote a handful of NA!Verse one-shots last year, that I haven't shared (or that I published on Tumblr unbeta'd and pretty much unnoticed), so I decided they might as well be up here for all of you to read and, hopefully enjoy.**

**Some of these may not be published in cronological order, but this one is. If there's any weird time-jump, I'll let you know in advance.**

**As usual, I own nothing, and I owe everything to my beautiful beta, Wutif, and to my friend Brandi, who loves this verse and kept insisting I should write more of it. So here it is.**

**One-shot summary: Chris and Darren take their children to an animal shelter. Written for pet adoption awareness month last June.**

* * *

There was no denying the kids were excited, if the endless chatter coming from the backseat was any indication. Chris and Darren had tuned them out minutes after leaving the house, spending the entire drive talking their schedules for the upcoming week: Chris had to fly to LA for a casting meeting for his newest movie, but he needed to be back for Sam's soccer game the next weekend, so Darren agreed to take Evangeline to her dentist appointment while he was gone. When Darren parked the car in front of the building's entrance, there was no way to ignore them anymore.

"We're here! We're here! Quickly, Papa, unbuckle me! I want to go inside!" Evangeline yelled, bouncing on her spot.

"I'm first!" Sam said, already opening the door on his side to climb out of the car.

"Calm down, you two, or we're going back home right now. Empty-handed," Darren exclaimed turning around to look at his kids as severely as he could.

Chris snorted. "Yeah sure, Dare. You're even more excited about this than them."

"Hey, I'm trying to discipline my children here," Darren frowned. "A little help and credibility would be nice."

"Sorry, my love," Chris leaned closer and pecked his husband on the lips, smiling.

"Ugh, now they're going to start kissing and we'll never get to go inside…" Sam protested, crossing his arms over his chest in a pout.

"Samuel Criss-Colfer, patience is a virtue," Darren reprimanded, but a smile was tugging at his lips, too.

They got out the children of the car, Evangeline immediately jumping up and down and reaching her arms above her head, while she jutted her lip out in a pout so Darren would pick her up in his arms.

"You're such a Daddy's girl," Sam said rolling his eyes. The girl nodded contentedly as she nuzzled into the crook of Darren's neck, and they went inside.

There was a middle aged man behind a desk that greeted them with a smile and explained their procedures. Evangeline and Sam weren't paying much attention (Darren wasn't, either, he kept swaying on his feet, anxiously) as they just stared at the sign behind the desk, where the words 'Animal Shelter' were decorated with photographs of some of the dogs and cats that the shelter had housed over the years.

The shelter was quite big but they were advised to take their time to walk around and examine the pets they had available for adoption. Sam started pulling at Chris' hand even before the man finished his explanation, but soon they were on their way.

Both kids quieted as soon as they saw the caged animals. Most of them looked very sad, though a few perked up when they noticed people approaching, obviously hungry for some attention and love.

Evangeline tightened her grip around Darren's neck. "Daddy…"

"What is it, baby girl?" Darren asked, his hazel eyes fixing on her.

"Why do these puppies look so sad?"

"Because they don't have a family yet, Evie," Sam answered from where he was holding Chris' hand and arm with both of his hands, walking very closely to his father.

"Can we take them all home with us?" Evangeline glanced around, worried. "I can get rid of some toys to make them all fit in our house…"

"There are too many, sweetheart," Chris explained, kissing her forehead. "I wish we could take them all with us, too, but we can't."

Evangeline sighed sadly. "Okay…" She looked around again. "Can we go look at the kitties, now? Maybe they're happier."

"I want a dog…" Sam said as he let his gaze wander to each cage, wishfully.

"We'd agreed we get a cat, though, Sammy," Chris reminded him. "They're more independent and both your dad and I don't have the time to train a puppy…"

"They're really cuddly, too," Evie reminded her brother.

Sam didn't look very convinced but he followed his parents and sister to another corridor where the cages were full of cats of all ages. The idea was to get a kitten, so the kids could watch it grow and learn to take care of it. Darren put Evangeline on the floor so she could take a look through the different cages.

Evangeline was heading for a cage with five baby kittens that were playing together when a paw reaching from a cage managed to get her attention. She blinked and then smiled as she leaned down to look at the white and gray cat with a pink collar around her neck. She had her green-yellowish eyes fixed on the little girl.

Evie was learning how to read in kindergarten so she studied the little card attached to the cage that contained the animal's information. She recognized a number on the card a few of the letter combinations and soon guessed she was looking at a two year-old cat.

Chris passed by where she was crouching on the floor, barely caressing the cat's paw with her finger and knelt down next to her. He didn't even have time to open his mouth to say anything before his daughter made her decision.

"I want _her_, Papa, can we take her home?" She asked with pleading eyes.

"This is an older cat, Evie. I though you two wanted a kitten," Chris replied as he reached into the cage to scratch behind her ears.

"I don't care, Papa. Look at her," Evangeline muttered.

She was a really beautiful animal. Chris couldn't argue with that. He looked at the card with the cat's information to know her age and story. She had been taken into the shelter when she was a few months old after her previous owner was charged with cruelty for burning her belly with cigarettes and trying to put her into a plastic bag afterwards. She had never been adopted, but she was sweet and very sociable. Her name was Sunny, because her favorite thing was when the staff allowed her to get out of the cage for a couple of hours to lie in the sun.

"Darren! Sam! Come over here," Chris called, his eyes still fixed to Sunny's hopeful, furry face.

"Aw, who's that pretty thing?" Darren asked, crouching next to his husband.

"Her name is Sunny and I think your daughter is in love with her," Chris explained, rubbing his hand up and down Evie's back as she kept caressing the cat quietly. Sunday was purring happily.

"Can we pick her? She looked so sad before and now she's _smiling_," Evangeline whispered, pleadingly.

Sam was now also sliding a finger through the bars of the cage to pet her. "She's really cute."

Darren and Chris looked at each other, deliberating without words as only two people who had been together for a long time and knew each other very well could. Finally, they both nodded.

"Okay, we're taking her," Darren said and Evangeline clapped, full of joy.

"I'll go find someone to take her out of the cage," Chris stood and ruffled Sam's curls playfully before walking away.

Evangeline had never looked as happy as she did when the cage was opened and the shelter employee put Sunny in her arms. The cat immediately nuzzled against her and it was clear in just a few seconds that it was a match made in heaven.

The family started walking back to the front office to sign the papers and pay the adoption fees as Evangeline chattered excitedly about how she was going to let Sunny curl up next to her in bed and sleep with her every night. Darren turned to put a hand on Sam's shoulder and ask him if he was planning to do the same, but his son wasn't walking next to him as he thought. His stomach dropped for a moment in fear before he noticed he had stayed behind.

Chris was busy talking to the shelter guy, asking him about what kind of food would be best for Sunny, so Darren turned back to go get Sam, who was kneeling in front of a different cage. There was a constant whimpering coming from inside of it and when Darren stood next to his son, he saw there was a light brown puppy with a red collar there who looked even more dejected than all the other puppies.

"His name is Boo. All his brothers and sisters were killed," Sam sniffed, pointing at the card above his cage.

Darren put his arm around his boy and pulled him towards his chest. "That's really sad."

"Can I be a vet when I grow up?" Sam asked quietly, wiping his tears against his daddy's shirt.

"You can be whatever you want to be, buddy," Darren squeezed him tightly. "And that would be something really nice to do with your life."

"It'll be too late to help him, though, by the time I'm old enough," Sam looked around. "To help all of them."

"But you'll help a lot of others and that's what counts," Darren assured him.

A strangled sob escaped from Sam's lips. "I wish I had seen Boo first so we could've taken him home."

"Oh, Sam," Darren hugged him and let his son cry, not sure what to do. The puppy looked at them, blinking in confusion, and put his paw against the door of the cage.

Darren saw another employee of the shelter walking by and he closed his eyes for a minute, bracing himself for his husband's reaction. But he'd rather have to placate Chris than see Sam cry for another second.

"Excuse me," Darren said, causing the woman to turn to him. "My son and I would like to adopt this dog."

Sam looked up at him in surprise, his eyelashes shining with tears. "R-really?"

"You'll have to make sure he doesn't eat any of my socks," Darren told him as seriously as he could. "And if he pees on your father's awards you'll have to polish them."

Sam threw his arms around Darren's neck. "Thank you, Daddy! I promise he'll behave!"

Darren sighed. "Don't look so happy, Sam. Do you think you can cry a bit more so Papa doesn't kill us? You're the son of a couple of actors, so there must be some acting skills in you…"

There was a giggle behind them and Darren turned around to find Chris leaning against a wall, with his eyebrow quirked in exasperation, and Evangeline, holding Sunny, standing next to him, with a hand covering her mouth.

"Are you teaching our son to lie, Darren?" He asked.

Darren gulped and looked away. "No, no, honey, not at all…"

"You're so adorable when you get caught," Chris grinned.

Darren walked towards him as the employee put Boo in Sam's arms. He leaned closer to his husband so no one could hear their conversation. "Sam looked devastated. I couldn't say no…"

Chris kissed his cheek. "It's okay. I guess the house will be crazy for a while before we all adapt, but…" He looked at the big smile gracing his son's lips. "I couldn't possibly take that happiness away from him now."

"You won't be home for a good part of next week," Darren kissed the tip of his nose. "By the time you get back from LA we'll have everything in order, I promise."

Sam approached them with Boo wagging his tail frantically. "Papa?" He mumbled timidly.

Chris smiled brightly. "Are you and your new friend ready to go home?"

Sam's face couldn't have lit up more even if he tried. "Yes, Papa!"

"Okay, then," he ran his hand through Sam's dark hair and then grabbed Darren's hand. After all these years, he still marveled at how well their hands fit together.

They both looked at their children as they carried their new pets to the front office. Chris was absolutely sure their lives were going to become a chaotic disaster for a while, but… wasn't it worth it when they could put those smiles on their children's faces?

He turned to look at Darren. He had made sort of a particular mess of his life years ago, before it all started, and he was still occasionally a mess now. A mess he loved with every beat of his heart and every breath he took.

They would find a way to get it all under control.

"Daddy! Boo peed on the backseat!"

"Papa, we forgot Sunny's food! We have to go back!"

"Now I have to pee, too, Papa. Can we stop at that McDonald's?"

"Daddy, next time can we adopt a pony?"

Or maybe not, but that was okay, too.

* * *

**Short and sweet, right? I hope you all enjoyed.**

**When I wrote this, I hoped, somehow, I'd be able to encourage people to adopt insteady of buying their next adorable furry friend. Thousands (even millions, I'd dare say) of animals are waiting in shelters for a second chance. Please, consider this next time you think about getting a pet.**

**Next one-shot should be up soon, and you should get ready for more fluff! :)**

**Love,**

**L.-**


	2. Unexpected

**Hi everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful day.**

**It's time for one-shot number two! I forgot to say in the first one that the general rating for these is PG-13, but some of them will be M. So if you're here for the CrissColfer smut, be patient :)**

**This one was written for Father's Day last year and it takes place soon after Animal Love. **

**One-shot summary: Chris and Darren are about to get the most precious and unexpected present for Father's Day. **

**Thumbs up for Wutif for working so hard on all of my stories. Best beta ever! :)**

**I own nothing.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Predictably, Father's Day was a really big deal in the Criss-Colfer household. Sam and Evie loved to spoil their daddies and they usually spent the whole day doing something fun together (this year it was going to be a pic-nic) and then they would have dinner with their families so Chris and Darren could see their fathers, too. The Colfers and the Crisses still lived in California so they couldn't see their grandchildren as much as they'd like to. Any excuse to get together was a good excuse.

Darren was getting the kids ready, putting sunscreen on them, just in case, while Chris was just finishing packing their picnic lunch in a basket when the phone rang. Chris picked it up while he walked to the fridge to get some bottles of water.

Darren entered the kitchen and kissed his husband's cheek quickly before going into the adjacent laundry room to look for a t-shirt he wanted to wear. But Chris' tone made him stop and look at him, slightly worried.

"I... Yes. Yes. Oh! I don't know..." Chris' eyes searched Darren's and his husband approached him slowly. "Wow. This is very short notice. I'd need to talk it over with my husband. Can you give us an hour or so?"

Darren waited impatiently while Chris listened to the other side of the conversation. His stomach scrunched with nerves. What if something awful had happened to one of their parents? Chris' expression didn't really reveal anything, but Darren guessed it couldn't be good news.

Chris hung up and put the phone on the countertop gently, crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.

"What's wrong, honey?" Darren asked, cupping his cheek.

"I..." Chris cleared his throat. "That was Sarah."

Darren blinked in surprise. Sarah was the woman in charge of the New York City Orphanage where they had adopted Sam three years ago. They had kept in semi-regular contact with the institution since then: some of their son's friends were still there and they also liked to several times a year to bring new toys and books and they had even sponsored a big group of them to see a kid's play at a local theatre once. The children adored Chris and Darren and their faces always lit with happiness when they saw them.

"What did she have to say?" Darren tilted his head to the side, confused. Sundays were the only days Sarah didn't usually work. She dedicated every minute of her week to the kids she looked after, but she tried to reserve one day for her own family.

Chris' eyes fixed on his. "Newborn twins were abandoned at the Orphanage last night."

"Oh my God, that's terrible," Darren gasped, horrified.

"She wanted to know if we might want to adopt them."

Darren's face altered instantly from horror to shock. "What?"

"They already have too many children to take care of and she says they're understaffed this week, with Mandy on vacation and Lily out sick..."

"Chris..."

"She says she knows this is right out of the blue but that she wouldn't trust anyone else to take care of them like we would. She says she can get the paperwork done for us quicker because we have a great track record..."

"Chris..."

"Oh my God, I don't know what we should do." Chris closed his eyes and leaned against the counter. "We haven't discussed having more kids, but I..."

"Chris. Stop for a second," Darren put his hands on his husband's shoulder. Chris looked at him. He swallowed, anxiously. "Do you want more kids?"

Chris took a deep breath. "I honestly thought that our family was already perfect, that we didn't need anyone else..." His arms wrapped around Darren's waist and he leaned against him, looking for support. "But now I feel like we should do something... We still have more than enough love to go around."

"Sweetheart," Darren said very calmly. "Do you think we're ready for two newborn babies? Do you think Sam and Evangeline would be okay with something as major as this?"

"They're both so sensitive when it comes to kids needing homes..." Chris mumbled. "And I know we're both really busy, but things always slow down during the summer when we take time off because the kids aren't going to school. By September we should all be adapted again..."

A little smile crept on Darren's face. "You really want to say yes, don't you?"

"Darren..." he muttered miserably. "They're just babies. And they were abandoned in the middle of the night..."

Darren nodded very slowly. "Okay."

"Okay?" Chris' eyes widened.

"Okay. You call Sarah while I call Chuck to see if he can watch the kids while we go to the Orphanage..."

Darren couldn't finish talking. He suddenly found himself being enthusiastically kissed by his husband.

* * *

The kids had a thousand questions and Darren and Chris couldn't answer them all yet. Still, they both seemed excited to welcome two new members to their family (_can they be girls? Sam doesn't like to have tea parties with me_, Evangeline asserted) and once again Darren and Chris were reminded of just how wonderful their children were.

"Are we still going to have a picnic?" Sam asked, sounding a bit worried.

Chris turned around to face his son, smiling softly. "I don't know, sweetheart. We'll have to see how the babies are doing. Maybe they'll need to see a doctor or stay home today."

Evangeline's eyes went wide with excitement. "Oh, I know! We can have the picnic in our backyard! That way the babies can be home and we don't have to cancel our plans!"

Darren turned around, too, as he stopped at a red light. "You know, that's a lovely idea, Evie."

Evangeline seemed very proud of herself for coming up with a solution to keep everyone happy.

* * *

"What's going on?" Asked a very confused Chuck when they arrived at his place. His wife waved at them warmly from the kitchen window, where she was talking on the phone and holding their youngest child with her free arm. "Darren wasn't very clear on the phone."

Chris unbluckled Evie from her seat. "We are having a baby-emergency."

"A baby emergency?" Chuck arched his eyebrows, even more confused. He turned to his brother. "Can someone just tell me what's going on? Why can't you be clear? You two are so damn perfect for each other. You never seem to have a problem understanding each other, but I need an interpreter."

"Language," Darren reminded him as he handed Sam his backpack. He turned to Chuck with a proud grin and put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Charles… you're about to be an uncle again."

Chuck blinked and looked at Chris as if to confirm that his brother hadn't gone completely nuts, but his brother-in-law only nodded. "_What_? I didn't know you were planning to have more kids!"

"Well, neither did we," Darren leaned to kiss the top of his children's heads. "You two take care of Uncle Chuck while we go pick up the babies, okay?"

"Wait. Babies? Plural?" Chuck muttered. "How many kids are you guys adopting this time?"

Chris chuckled and gave him a one arm hug. "We'll explain later, okay? We don't have time to talk right now."

"Fine, fine," Chuck watched them as they got back in the car. "Keep this up and soon you'll have enough kids to have your own fucking rock band, man."

"Language!" Evangeline and Sam yelled at the same time.

* * *

Chris took a deep breath before stepping into the Orphanage. The hall was blessedly cool compared to the heat outside. Darren slipped his hand into his and squeezed it gently.

"We're crazy, aren't we?" He whispered into his husband's ear as they watched Sarah approach them.

"I wouldn't have us any other way," Chris turned his head just enough to kiss Darren's cheek. "Hi, Sarah."

"Thank you so much for coming down here so fast," she looked stressed and immediately moved forward to wrap them both in a big hug. "I don't know what I'd do without you two."

"We couldn't just say no to this," Darren shrugged as if adding more kids to their family was something they did all the time. "And I don't know what you said to my husband, but I'm sure he would've divorced me if I didn't agree to this."

"Oh, shut up," Chris nudged him a little, rolling his eyes. "Babies, Darren, adorable tiny abandoned babies."

Sarah laughed and her stress seemed to diminish a bit. "You guys are fantastic. I know they'll be incredibly happy with you." She started guiding them to the second floor. "Just seeing Sam and Evangeline thrive with you two is proof enough. You're wonderful parents."

"We do what we can," Chris mumbled. He always felt like they mostly just loved the kids, and they were the ones who made them look wonderful.

"And it's a lot," Sarah assured him. "Every time you come visit here, you give the kids something to look forward to. You are always making donations and volunteering when I know you have busy careers and enough to handle at home…"

"You make it sound as if what _you_ do wasn't the most amazing thing in the world," Darren answered, smiling at her. "So… the babies. How are they?"

"A doctor checked them last night. They're physically okay," Sarah explained. "They're still tiny so they need lots of attention right now."

"Poor things," Chris said sadly.

"Nothing that a lot of love won't solve," Sarah told them, stopping at the nursery. "They may be a bit fussy for the first few days until they get used to you, but I don't think you'll have any problems."

"We'll take them to our pediatrician tomorrow anyway," Chris muttered, as he anxiously waited for Sarah to open the door. "Just to be sure everything's fine."

"That's a good idea," Sarah put her hand on the doorknob. "Let's go meet your new kids, then."

They walked into the room. It was small and the window at the back of the room let the sunshine in, letting the light bathe the cribs lined up against the wall. Most of the cribs were empty – babies were placed into new families a lot faster than older kids, and when he thought about it, Chris felt a tug at his heart. There were so many other kids there who needed a new home, but he knew they couldn't take them all in. He went through the same thing every time they came to visit.

Two babies were sleeping side by side in the crib nearest the window. Their hair was soft, light fluff in an intense shade of red. They were very small and absolutely identical, wearing little white cotton onesies. The only thing that made it possible to distinguish one from the other were the two little bracelets around their wrists. One was green and the other was blue.

"Meet your two new boys," Sarah announced softly, so she wouldn't wake them up.

Chris' hand went instantly into Darren's. "Oh my God, Darren… they're so tiny…"

"They're beautiful," Darren leaned his head on his husband's shoulder.

"Can I…?" Chris looked at Sarah, hopefully.

"Of course," Sarah nodded. "I'll go get the adoption papers and give you some time alone with them."

"Thank you," Darren said as Chris carefully picked one of the babies up. He didn't even wake up when he cradled him to his chest.

Chris touched the tip of the baby's perfect nose as Darren nuzzled the other child, staring at him with utter adoration. "What are we going to call them?"

Darren's eyes went wide with eagerness. "Oh my god, Chris, they have red hair. Let's call them George and Fred!"

"Of course not!" Chris hissed, shaking his head with a smile curling his lips. His husband was such a dork.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Darren protested, half seriously. "When else are you going to have identical twins with red hair?"

"Never again," Chris hummed as he rocked the baby slowly. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to condemn them to eternal teasing for it. Kids are mean enough, without giving them a built in excuse."

The one Darren was holding opened his eyes and looked up at him before he started whining and then moved on to full-on crying. "Oh, shit, no. Go back to sleep, little Freddie…"

"Darren!" Chris narrowed his eyes at him. "We're _not_ calling them Fred and George!"

Deep in his heart, Chris already knew they had made the right decision.

* * *

It was just past midday when they made it back to their house. Darren had driven very carefully while Chris sat in the back between the car seats with the twins, singing softly to them so they wouldn't wake up again.

They had called Chuck and their parents to tell them that they were having a picnic in their backyard and they were all invited. They didn't mention anything about the babies, not even when Chuck started asking them what had happened and what was going on.

As Chris watched the babies, Darren went to the basement to get Evangeline's crib and all the baby things that they had luckily saved, just in case. Their guest room would have to serve as the twin's room until they moved to an even bigger house once the kids were older and they all needed more privacy.

Once the crib was set up, with clean sheets and blankets, Chris took the babies to their new room., deciding they would need to redecorate it at some point. He was just realizing how crazy the next few days were going to be, getting everything a tiny baby needed, times two. Nevertheless, he didn't regret their decision. He was already in love with his new sons.

Darren started the grill in the backyard to make burgers. The doorbell rang and he wiped his hands clean on a kitchen cloth before running to the front door before it woke the babies up. Chuck and his wife, with his two kids plus Evangeline and Sam were there.

"Where are the babies?" Evangeline asked, excited.

Darren leaned to kiss her head before turning to his sister-in-law and hugging her. "Upstairs with Papa. Give them a few minutes and then you can meet them, okay?"

"You adopted more kids?" Julia asked with wide eyes. "I thought Chuck was just teasing me!"

"I told you!" Chuck rolled his eyes. He had his youngest daughter, Annabelle, in his arms.

Darren laughed. "Well… you'll have to wait a few minutes until our parents get here to see them."

"Asshole," Chuck muttered.

"Language!" Evangeline, Sam, Darren, Julia and Emily, their oldest daughter, shouted at the same time.

* * *

It didn't take too much longer for their parents to arrive. Darren took them all outside where Evangeline, Sam and Emily had spread blankets on the grass. Chuck was helping Darren at the grill and Julia was placing plastic cups and paper plates on the blankets, as well.

They all settled in their spots of choice and Karyn looked around, curiously.

"Where's Christopher? Isn't he home?" She asked, frowning.

"Yes, he is," Darren answered, winking an eye at Evangeline and Sam, who had started giggling. "Wait here, I'll go get him."

Emily asked Cerina to braid her hair. Tim and Bill started catching up, talking about work and sports. Hannah held Annabelle while she talked to Julia. Sam and Chuck were playing catch. It was a perfect family gathering and it was about to get even better.

Chris came out of the house, smiling widely. "Hey everyone!"

"Chris!" Cerina said happily. "We were already missing you. You weren't working, were you, dear?"

"No, Cerina," he kissed her cheek and then turned to his mother to do the same. "I was just a little busy."

"And it looks like we're both going to be busy for a while," Darren's voice came from the French door that connected the backyard and the living room and when everyone looked up at him, they found him standing there with a baby in each arm.

The twins were now both awake and slowly taking in their surroundings. It took a few seconds for the family to realize what was going on.

"Oh my God!" Karyn exclaimed.

"When did this happen?" Bill asked, as Darren carefully walked outside with the babies. Chris took one from him.

"This morning," he answered, staring down at his son, looking delighted. "It was quite unexpected."

"Chris is a big softie and couldn't resist the temptation," Darren teased, earning a nudge from his husband.

"_I'm_ the big softie? You were crying five minutes ago while you changed their diapers," he said, rolling his eyes.

"_Anyway_," Darren said, pointedly ignoring him. "We want you all to meet Oliver and Owen Criss-Colfer."

"They're _precious_," Julia said, smiling widely.

"Aren't they?" Chris cooed, looking down at Owen, who blinked back at him.

"I was hoping at least one would be a girl," Evangeline sighed.

Darren kneeled carefully by her side. "Look at the bright side, Evie: you're still the only princess in the house."

Evangeline smiled happily. "Can I hold Oliver for a while?"

"Sure, sweetheart," Darren answered. "But you have to be very careful, okay? Let grandma Cerina help you."

Chris passed Owen to Hannah, and then he and Darren stood there as they watched their family. They had thought that they already knew what happiness was, but they were constantly surprised with a new tidal wave of it that overtook them completely. And as they watched their sons being welcomed into their family by their aunts, uncle, cousins, grandparents and, especially, their brother and sister, they experienced the kind of joy that only comes with unconditionally loving a child.

Darren wrapped his arms around his husband's waist and pressed himself against him, hooking his chin on his shoulder. "Happy Father's Day, Chris."

Chris smiled, letting his hands rest on top of Darren's where they were clasped on his belly. "Happy Father's Day, Dare."

* * *

**So there it is, some fluff to brighten up this Glee-less Thursday. I hope you guys liked it. Please review and let me know!**

**Thanks for reading!**

**L.-**


	3. In Sickness and In Health

**Hey guys! I'm back with a new one-shot.**

**This one hasn't been published anywhere before, so it's brand new, unlike the previous two. It takes place a couple years after the last one, and the rating changes for this story in particular to M/NC-17.**

**Once again, a huge thank you to my beta, Wutif, for her help!**

**I don't own Darren or Chris, sadly.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

It was usually Darren who got up in the morning to get the kids ready for school. Chris was almost always up late, taking advantage of the silent house when their four children were finally asleep, writing nonstop to meet his next deadline. It was two in the morning before Chris had gone to bed, so when Darren's alarm went off and wouldn't shut up, he reached behind himself to nudge his husband... only to find his side of the bed was empty.

Chris blinked and sat up, confused. He turned the alarm off (seriously, they were past the point when listening to Kermit the frog in the morning became annoying) and only when the silence took over the house again, he noticed the noises coming from the en-suite bathroom.

Chris got out of bed immediately and padded towards the bathroom, pushing the door open. "Oh, Dare..."

Darren looked up at him wretchedly. He was hunched over the toilet on the floor. His skin looked yellow in the bathroom light and there were dark marks under his usually bright hazel eyes. "I don't feel very good," he muttered miserably.

"I can see that, honey," Chris grabbed a washcloth and held it under cold water in the sink until it was wet, before kneeling next to his husband. "How long have you been like this?"

"Two hours? Three… not sure..." Darren closed his eyes when Chris started pressing the washcloth against his over-heated face. "Sorry if I woke you up..."

"It wasn't you. It was the alarm," Chris answered gently, brushing his sweaty curls back. "You should have told me you were feeling crummy."

"It'll pass soon," Darren replied, but it just took one touch to his skin for Chris to know he was feverish. "I have to take the kids to..."

"Oh, no you don't, mister," Chris put a finger on his chest to stop him from standing up. "You're not going anywhere near our children today. The last thing I need is the whole house full of kids infected with whatever virus you have..."

"But... School... Evie's lunchbox is still..." Darren blinked at him in confusion. He looked really sick.

"I'll take care of everything," Chris assured him. "Do you want me to help you back to bed?"

Darren's answer was to lean over the toilet and start throwing up again.

* * *

Chris had no choice but to leave Darren and go wake the children up. He started with Sam because it always took so much longer to get their 10-year-old out of bed in the mornings...

"Go away. I don't have school today..." the boy whined as he hugged his pillow.

"Yes, you do. It's Wednesday. Now get up," Chris said, patting his leg.

Sam blinked and looked at his father in confusion. "Papa?"

"Good morning," Chris smiled down at him. He brushed his messy dark curls back. How could he look so much like Darren? "Get up or we'll be late."

"Where's Daddy?" Sam asked.

"He doesn't feel well," Chris answered and walked to the door. "Get up and get dressed, okay? I'll have breakfast ready in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, Papa," Sam muttered, as he hugged his pillow again.

"If you're not in the kitchen in fifteen minutes, there won't be any pancakes for you!" Chris called as he walked away from his son's room.

Sam was up on his feet in two seconds.

* * *

Evangeline's bedroom was the room of a little princess. It was mostly white and lilac and her bed was surrounded by a structure that made it look as if it was inside a tower. She loved it.

Chris sat on the bed next to her. She was so big. Already eight years old. Where had the time gone? He remembered the first time he had held her. It was nearly impossible to believe that little pink bundle was the same girl sleeping there.

He was rarely the one to wake the kids up, except maybe on the weekends, so he allowed himself a few minutes and slipped into the bed with his daughter, cuddling her to his chest.

It only took Evie a few seconds to crack an eye open and look up at him, sleepily. "Papa?"

"Good morning, sweetheart. I'm going to take you guys to school today. Daddy's not feeling well," he said as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked with her eyes widening with concern.

"I think it's just a stomach bug," Chris explained. "So after school I'm asking uncle Chuck to pick you up. I need to take care of Daddy and make sure you don't get sick as well, okay?"

"Okay," Evangeline closed her eyes again and snuggled closer to her father. "Papa, can you braid my hair for school today?"

"Of course," he kissed the top of her head. "Get dressed and I'll do it after breakfast."

"Yay," she said, still half asleep.

Chris got out of bed and Evangeline followed, immediately moving to her closet to pick something to wear.  
He moved to the next bedroom to check on the twins. Both Oliver and Owen were sound asleep and he decided to let them be for a little longer. They always got fussy if he woke them up too early. They had a lot of character for two-year-old boys.

He went downstairs to the kitchen and started making pancakes for the kids' breakfast and some coffee for himself. He looked into the cupboard and the fridge, making a list of the things they needed and considered stopping by the grocery store after dropping the kids at school and the twins at Chuck's… which reminded him to send a text to his brother-in-law to ask him if he could watch them today. Chuck responded within two minutes saying there was no problem, so Chris thanked him just as Sam and Evie appeared in the kitchen.

Chris put the kids' plates on the table in front of them and they started eating. He finished putting together their lunches (Sam had a Spiderman lunchbox and Evie had a Disney princesses one).

"I'm gonna check on Daddy really quickly and be right back, okay?" He said and after both kids nodded, he ran up the stairs.

Darren was still in the bathroom, but he wasn't hugging the toilet anymore. He was sitting on the floor with his eyes closed and his back against the bathtub. He looked really bad.

"Hey baby," Chris said sweetly. "Can I get you anything? Help you back into bed?"

"Bed," Darren groaned.

"Okay," Chris put his hands under Darren's arms and helped him up. Darren wobbled a little but Chris managed to keep him standing. He guided him back into their bedroom and tucked him into bed. Darren moaned and rolled on his side, burying his face in the pillow.

"I feel like crap," he moaned.

"I know, honey. I'll pick up some stuff from the drug store on my way back," Chris leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Will you be alright alone while I take the kids to school?"

"What about the twins?" Darren asked, looking up at him with tired hazel eyes.

"Chuck's going to take care of them for the day and pick up Evie and Sam at school later, too."

"We have so many kids..." Darren mumbled. "Do you think we can dress them all as reindeers at Christmas? I always wanted to dress up as Santa..."

Chris chuckled. "You definitely have a fever."

"You can be a reindeer, too," Darren said with his eyes closed. "I always wanted to role play in bed with Rudolph..."

"Oh my god," Chris covered his mouth with a hand. "We'll discuss that some other time, Dare. Your daughter wants me to braid her hair."

"Can you braid mine, too?" Darren hugged a pillow to his chest and burrowed into it, the same way he often did to Chris' neck.

"Maybe. We'll see," Chris smiled down at him and kissed his forehead once again. "I'll leave a trash can next to you in case you need to throw up again. I'll be back soon, baby."

Darren was already sleeping by the time Chris stepped out of their bedroom.

* * *

It took more than an hour for Chris to drive Sam and Evangeline to school and then drop off Oliver and Owen to Chuck's place, and making a stop to buy some stuff for Darren. The twins hadn't been very happy to be woken up so early: they usually slept at least until nine, when they started getting hungry. Luckily, they all loved uncle Chuck so as soon as Chris told them they were spending the day with him, none of the kids had any complaints.

By the time he made it back home, Darren was throwing up again. Chris grabbed a glass of water and sat next to him on the floor, gently brushing his hair back and wiping his mouth clean.

"You should go downstairs," Darren complained with a hoarse voice. "I don't want to get you sick..."

"I'm fine, sweetheart, and I'm _not _leaving you alone," Chris answered, kissing his temple. "Do you think you're ready to go back to bed?"

"I think so, yeah," Darren nodded weakly.

Once Darren was comfortable and took his medicines, Chris slipped into bed with him and pulled him into his arms, humming softly to sooth him. Darren sighed as he cuddled against his husband's chest.

"Did you remember to cut the edges of Evie's sandwich off?" Darren asked with his eyes closed.

Chris smiled against his hair. "I did. And I cut it into triangles as well."

"You're such a great father..." Darren whispered sleepily.

"So are you, Dare," Chris' arms tightened around him. "Now get some sleep and I'll make some soup for you later, okay?"

"Mm, no, don't want any soup. Stay with me. You're so comfy and you smell so good..." Darren nuzzled against him, happily.

Chris sighed but didn't move. "I'll stay for as long as you want me to, baby."

* * *

Once Darren was deeply asleep, Chris gently eased him down onto the pillows and kissed his forehead before standing up. The poor guy still looked awful: his skin was pale and the marks under his eyes were still there. But, Chris thought with a little smile, he was still beautiful. In the fifteen years they'd been together, Chris couldn't think of a single time in which he had looked at his husband and didn't think he was the most beautiful man in the world.

He went back downstairs and made some more coffee for himself as he started working on a chicken noodle soup for Darren. Cerina called in the meantime, having heard from Chuck that Darren was sick, and Chris talked to her for a while as he stirred the soup.

Darren was rarely sick, but when he caught something, he caught it hard. Chris hated seeing his husband feeling miserable, but he had to admit that he loved taking care of him.

Chris put the phone down on the counter once Cerina hung up and he was about to move to the sink to wash the things that were left from the kids' breakfast when he heard a voice behind him.

"What are you doing?"

Chris turned and found Darren, half asleep, with his hair in a messy mop on the top of his head, and a blanket wrapped around him.

"What are you doing up?" He asked, immediately moving towards him.

"You were gone," Darren pouted. "You said you'd stay."

Chris couldn't help but smile. He cupped his husband's face in his hand. "Oh, honey. I was just making some soup for you."

"I don't want soup. I want my husband," Darren pouted again. He was too adorable for his own good.  
Chris kissed his cheek. "Go back to bed, Dare. I'll finish here and I'll be up with you in five minutes."

"Four?" Darren replied, hopeful.

Chris rolled his eyes. "Three and a half."

With a smile, Darren turned around and went back upstairs, dragging his blanket behind him.

* * *

When Chris went back into their bedroom, all he saw in his bed was a huge wodge of blankets. He knew his husband was hiding under there without having to check: he could see a few curls peeking out over of the blankets, dark against the white pillowcases.

Chris walked to him and sat on the bed next to him. He rubbed his hand up and down what he assumed was Darren's back.

Darren's face appeared from amongst the blankets and he blinked at him. Chris felt his heart swooning and brushed his hair back. Darren was sweaty and still a little feverish. Sighing, Chris leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Wait here, okay? I'll be right back."

Darren whined in protest and tried to grab Chris' hand before he stood up, unsuccessfully.

"I'll be just a second in the bathroom, sweetheart, then I'll be right back," Chris assured him.

Once in the bathroom, he started filling the tub and looked for Darren's favorite cinnamon scented-oil and added a few drops of that, too. A bath always helped when Darren wasn't feeling well. It helped him relax and sometimes it even helped with his fever.

Chris went back into the room, letting the tub fill on its own. Darren blinked at him again, glumly. He hadn't moved an inch.

"Come on, baby," Chris said, pushing the blankets off him gently. "Come with me."

"No. Too comfy here. Cold," Darren mumbled, closing his eyes.

"You'll feel a lot better, Dare," Chris could feel the cold sweat raising goose bumps on the skin of Darren's arms and back. "I'm gonna get you into the bathtub. I even used your favorite oil."

Darren hummed doubtfully, but didn't move.

Chris rolled his eyes. His husband could be very difficult some times. Not even their kids gave them that much trouble when they were sick.

"Please, sweetheart," Chris kissed his forehead again. "I promise it'll help. And then you can go back to bed."

Darren agreed reluctantly and let Chris pull him up. He walked to the bathroom half-draped over his husband, feeling soothed just by pressing his face against Chris' neck and breathing him in.

* * *

Carefully, Chris sat Darren on the edge of the tub and turned off the faucet since the water was at the perfect level. He touched it, checking the temperature of the water wasn't too hot, before turning to Darren, who was still slumped there with his eyes closed.

He was always so helpless when he was sick. It was weird to Chris, who was used to seeing a very strong, determined man. But being sick meant all of Darren's defenses crumbled down, stripping him to this man who needed cuddling and kisses just as much as he needed medicine to get better.

Chris reached for the hem of Darren's cotton t-shirt. "Arms up, baby."

Darren obliged reluctantly, letting Chris take his shirt off. He shivered as cool air hit his skin.

"Do you think you can hold yourself up for a moment, Dare?" Chris asked. "Just so I can take your underwear off, sweetheart."

Darren nodded absently, throwing his arms around Chris' neck and using him as support as Chris helped him back on his feet. He pushed Darren's boxers down his hips and thighs and let them slide to the floor.

"Now one foot up... and the other..." Chris kicked the underwear aside so it wouldn't make Darren trip. "Very good, Dare..."

"Are we going to fuck now?" Darren asked, with his voice muffled with sleep and trying to press his face against Chris' neck once again.

An amused smile danced on Chris' lips for a moment. "Not now, honey. Maybe when you feel better."

"Mmkay," Darren murmured.

Chris helped him get into the tub and Darren sighed in contentment as soon as he was submerged in the water. Chris folded a towel and put it behind Darren's head, so he wouldn't rest it against the hard edge of the tub.

"Now what?" Darren asked, again with his eyes closed.

Chris leaned closer and ran a hand through his curls. "What do you mean, Dare?"

"Do I just sit here?" Darren said, not even bothering moving or opening his eyes. "No rubber duck, no awesome bathtub sex, no nothing?"

Chris hid his smile behind his hand. Darren sounded genuinely disappointed.

After a few seconds, Darren seemed to start relaxing. Chris used the opportunity to leave the bathroom without being noticed.

But Darren was paying more attention than he thought, because his eyes snapped open immediately. "Chris? Where did you go?" He called in a shaky voice.

"Just a second, honey!" He heard Chris replying from somewhere else in the house.

Darren sat straighter and leaned against the edge of the tub, staring at the door, eagerly. Chris smiled at him when he walked back in and kneeled on the floor next to him, cupping his cheek and kissing him softly on the lips.

"I'm back, silly," he whispered sweetly.

Darren relaxed visibly. "Don't leave again."

"I was just getting this for you," Chris replied and let something drop in the water, floating next to Darren's knee.

A slow smile spread on Darren's face. "A ducky."

"Evangeline's ducky," Chris clarified. The duck had a little crown and a pink princess dress. "So you'll have to give it back before your daughter comes back home."

Darren nodded agreeably. Chris wondered how it was possible for a forty year old man to be this adorable.

Darren still seemed weak, like he had a hard time keeping himself up. So Chris sighed and, standing up, started removing his clothes.

Darren's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Sex?"

"You really can't think of nothing else, can you?" Chris teased him. "No, baby. I'm just going to join you, okay?"

"That sounds good, too," Darren muttered, lazily watching more and more skin being revealed as his husband took his shirt off.

Once he was naked, Chris carefully slid into the tub behind Darren. As soon as he was settled, Darren scooted closer so he could cuddle against his chest.

"Feeling a bit better?" Chris asked, tracing random patterns on Darren's arms. He pressed his mouth against the top of Darren's head, letting the dark curls tickle his nose.

"Mm. A little," Darren smiled weakly.

"I think you feel exactly the same. You just like to cuddle," Chris teased.

"Maybe," Darren answered. He pushed the rubber duck so it would flow to the other end of the tub. "You're perfect to cuddle with."

"And you are perfect," Chris replied, dropping a quick kiss in his hair.

Darren shook his head slowly. "'m not."

"Yes, you are," Chris insisted. "That's why I married you. Because you're perfect in every way that counts."

Darren hummed, happily. "I'm too sick to think of anything good enough to say in return."

Chris chuckled. "You don't have to say anything, Dare."

They were silent for a moment. Voices, sounds and words weren't necessary right then. Their fingers moving gently against each other's skin was more than enough.

"This is so nice," Darren sighed. "If it wasn't because I feel like crap, I'd ask you to fuck me. But I think I'm like a ketchup bottle: if you push from the back, it'll come out from the other end."

A beat passed. Chris blinked. And then...

"Darren, did you just imply that if I fuck you, you're going to throw up?" Darren giggled against his neck and shrugged. "You asshole. Way to be romantic. Geeze, what a compliment."

"Sorry," Darren bit his lip and looked up at him. "You know what I mean."

Chris sighed and pulled Darren closer. "Yeah. I know. I wish we could, though. Have sex. We haven't had the house to ourselves in such a long time. It would be amazing to not have to wait until three in the morning so none of the kids walk in on us."

Darren nodded. "And we could be loud," he added dreamily.

Chris nuzzled his husband's temple. "Our anniversary is coming. Maybe we could take a weekend off and go somewhere nice. Just the two of us."

"I'd like that," Darren looked up at him with a little smile. Then, he frowned. "You _do_ know we'll spend the first day moping because we're not with the kids, right? Should I remind you of our disastrous date after Evie was born when we left her with my parents for three hours and we called them seventeen times?"

Chris snorted. "It wasn't that bad."

"Honey, it was," Darren looked at him, amused. "My mom actually told me to stop worrying, go have sex with my husband then hung up on me.."

"She did not!" Chris said, wide-eyed.

"I wish she hadn't, but she did!"

Chris couldn't help but laugh. Yeah, his mother-in-law _so_ would say something like that. Darren got his unpredictable personality from her.

He touched Darren's forehead. "I think your fever's going down."

"Can we stay in here a little longer?" Darren asked. "I'm comfy."

"Okay, just a little bit," Chris agreed before kissing his husband's shoulder.

* * *

Chris only spoke again when the water started getting cold. Darren was snuggled against his chest and Chris was pretty sure he had fallen asleep, which wasn't surprising, not only from the fever, but because Chris had been stroking his hair and that never failed to make Darren sleepy.

"Sweetheart," Chris said in his ear and Darren only moved a few inches to nuzzle against his neck. "Time for bed, Dare, come on."

Darren let out a soft sound of protest, but he obviously didn't feel like putting up much resistance because Chris could get out of the tub without having to fight his husband's grabby hands. He dried himself quickly and wrapped a towel around his waist before helping Darren out. He seemed wobbly on his feet so Chris kept his arm around him as he gently toweled him dry.

Chris walked him to bed, and then grabbed a pair of clean boxer briefs for Darren to put on. Then he tucked him under the sheets and kissed his forehead.

"I'm gonna make you some tea and I'll be right back, okay?" He said and Darren nodded without even opening his eyes.

Chris cleaned up the bathroom. Two grown men in a bathtub could really make a mess. After he was done, he put on some clothes, keeping it simple with a pair of sweatpants and one of Darren's college hoodies, knowing he would end up spending most of the day in bed with Darren.

Since his husband was asleep when he returned to the bedroom, he decided to leave the tea for later and let him rest. He went downstairs to tidy up the living room a little bit and then went back up with his laptop and settled on his side of the bed to get some work done as he listened to Darren's peaceful breathing.

* * *

For a couple of hours, Chris wrote quietly, letting his fingers run through Darren's unruly curls when he paused to think what to write next.

He finally felt Darren shifting a bit next to him until he cracked an eye open. The poor thing still looked terrible and Chris wanted to put the laptop aside and cuddle him until he was all better.

"Hey, baby," he said with a little smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Darren groaned. He closed his eyes again and scooted over until he was pressed against his husband's leg. Chris chuckled and put the computer on his nightstand.

"You don't have a fever anymore," Chris pointed out. "Would you like some tea?"

Darren nodded against his leg, wordlessly.

"You're going to have to let go of me, then, Dare," Chris said, amused.

Darren opened his eyes again. They didn't look hazel today. They looked clearer, like amber. It took Chris' breath away.

"Are you going to come back?" Darren asked in a hoarse, low voice.

Chris rolled his eyes. His husband could be the most adorable creature on the planet. "Oh my god, of course I'm going to come back, Darren." He wrapped his arms around him and leaned to kiss his head. "I'm just going to make the tea and call Chuck to check on the kids."

Darren nodded again, this time letting go of Chris' leg. "Okay."

Chris smiled. Still, after all these years, he found himself loving his husband even more. "Okay."

* * *

Chris went down to the kitchen and started working on Darren's tea as he dialed Chuck's number. His brother in law picked up only after two rings.

"Hi, Chris."

"Hey. How are the twins doing?" Chris asked.

"Well, I'm doing amazing. So is my wife and my own kids are fine, thanks so much for asking," Chuck said pompously.

Chris groaned. "Don't be an asshole. You know we never really leave the kids with anyone else..."

"You should. Let the poor children breathe..."

"I'm their father. I can't help but worry."

"What do you think might happen to them while they're at my house?"

Chris' eyes went wide, incredulous. "You're kidding, right? Domestic accidents happen all the time. They could..."

"Yeah, yeah. How's Darren doing?" Chuck interrupted, clearly bored.

"A little better. He took a bath and then slept for a while. I'm making some tea for him now," Chris sighed.

"Great. Hey, all teasing aside, you know we'll watch the kids for as long as you need us to, right?" Chuck said, more seriously.

"Of course. Thanks, Chuck," Chris smiled. "Now,_ please_ tell me how they're doing."

"Well, Owen is currently bungee jumping and Oliver is playing with knives..."

Chris rolled his eyes. "For your own good, I seriously hope you're lying."

Chuck laughed. "Relax. They're playing with some blocks on the living room floor and watching Toy Story."

Chris would've lied if he said he wasn't relieved. "Great. Thanks again, Chuck. So I'll call you again when you pick up Evie and Sam after school?"

"Even if I say no, you'll call anyway, so..."

"Shut up, Chuck."

"You love me."

"I love your brother. I put up with you. Two very different things."

After a bit more teasing, they hung up. Chris poured the tea for Darren and carried it back upstairs.

* * *

Darren was hugging his pillow and blinking sleepily when Chris walked back into their bedroom. He had his eyes on the door and he smiled a bit when he saw his husband return.

"Ready for your tea?" Chris asked as he put the tray on the nightstand. Darren nodded and then Chris helped him sit up. He put a couple of pillows behind his back to make sure he was comfortable before giving Darren the mug.

"Thanks," he said quietly. He looked up at Chris with big, pleading hazel eyes. "Get in bed with me?"

"Of course," Chris immediately climbed into bed next to Darren.

"Did you call Chuck?" Darren shifted closer to him.

"Yes. The boys are alright," Chris kissed his temple. "He should be picking up Sam and Evie in about two hours. I'll call him again then."

"When are they coming home?" Darren asked, half pouting. "I miss them."

"Aww, Dare," Chris couldn't help but smile. "I miss them, too. But I want to make sure whatever you have isn't contagious..."

"I'm a lot better already," Darren promised. "You take very good care of me."

Chris started running his fingers through Darren's curls. "I do what I can," he muttered with a little grin.

Darren put his tea down on the nightstand and curled around Chris' body, sighing in contentment when his head was tucked under his husband's chin. "I love you, Chris."

Chris hummed happily. "I love you, too, Dare." After a couple of minutes, once the tea was long gone, he added, "I think you need another nap."

"I don't want to sleep, though," Darren mumbled against his skin. "Can we watch a movie?"

"Of course," Chris kissed the mop of unruly hair on the top of his husband's head. "What movie?"

"Santa Clause," Darren answered, as he snuggled even closer.

"Christmas is months away..." Chris frowned.

"It doesn't have to be Christmas to enjoy those movies, Chris."

Chris sighed. "Fine. Let me up and I'll go get the movie."

Darren whined.

"Dare... I don't have magic powers. If you want to watch the movie, I'll have to get up and go get it," Chris said, unable to bite back an amused smile.

Darren groaned and blinked. Chris could feel his long eyelashes brushing against his neck as they moved.

"Dare..."

"Wait," Darren muttered. "I'm making sure I have enough of your warmth and your smell to survive until you come back."

Chris bit his lip. "It'll take me less than two minutes to go downstairs and get it."

"Too long," Darren finally lifted his head, fixing Chris with a sleepy, sweet stare. "Even seconds without you are endless."

Chris caressed his jaw with the tips of his fingers, smiling down at him. "My husband, ever the romantic."

"I thought you were going to say 'the needy bastard.'"

"Way to ruin the moment, sweetheart," Chris laughed and kissed his forehead, before practically having to force Darren's arms to unwrap from his waist. "I'll be back in a minute."

When Chris got back to their bedroom with the movie, Darren was clinging to his pillow again, burying his face in it. Chris smiled and slowly moved to where his husband was, and leaned to kiss the back of his neck.

Darren hummed happily and turned slightly to look at him with one lazy eye open. "You're back."

"I told you I'd be quick," Chris said, going over to the DVD to pop the movie into it. "And if you keep stealing my pillow, you'll have to get me a new one."

"Mm, smells so good," Darren answered, as he nuzzled a bit more into it.

Chris returned to the bed and pulled Darren into his arms, letting him use his chest as his new pillow.  
"Is your stomach still upset, honey?" Chris asked when they were almost halfway through the movie.

Darren nodded against him.

"Come here, Dare," Chris muttered and helped Darren settle between his legs, with his back reclined against his chest. Darren's head dropped back against his shoulder. Chris started rubbing his belly, knowing how soothing that was for his husband.

Darren almost purred in content. "Remember when you did this during our honeymoon?"

"And you asked me to stop because you had a boner? Of course," Chris teased, turning his face to kiss his husband's cheek.

"I can't help it when you touch me," Darren whispered. "It's like you set me on fire."

Chris nibbled on his jaw for a second. "If you weren't sick right now..."

"I feel much better," Darren said immediately, and Chris chuckled.

"Not enough for what I want to do to you..." Chris replied and Darren whined and hid his face against Chris' neck.

Darren caught Chris' earlobe between his teeth. "Tell me. Tell me what you'd do to me right now if you could..."

"Dare..." Chris whined, because he knew how this could end.

"Just tell me, please."

Chris gave in too soon. He couldn't help it. "I'd start like this..." He turned his head and began sucking on the spot right behind Darren's ear, the one that always drove him crazy. He started moaning almost instantly and Chris forgot that he was supposed to let Darren rest, that his husband wasn't feeling well... He just wanted to keep hearing those noises.

Darren tilted his head to the side and gave him better access, so Chris moved his mouth to his jaw and his neck, before going down to his shoulder and collarbone.

"I love putting my mouth on you," Chris whispered. "Everywhere. I love tasting you..."

"Chris..." Darren whimpered. His hand grabbed Chris' where it was resting on his stomach. "Please. Please, I need you." He guided Chris' hand to where his erection was tenting his underwear already.

Chris nuzzled against his hair. "Are you sure you feel good enough for this? I don't want to..."

"Touch me," Darren said pleadingly.

Chris had never been able to resist that urgency in his husband's voice, so when Darren tried to get his hand into his boxer briefs, he allowed him to, and immediately wrapped his fingers around his hot, flushed cock.

"Take your underwear off for me, baby," Chris whispered in his ear and Darren hurried to oblige, pushing it down his thighs.

He stroked lazily at first, wanting to give Darren less than what he needed and wanted, because he knew that always made his husband vocal and Chris had to admit he loved that.

"Please, please," Darren said, with a whimper, his hands clinging to Chris arms. "Tighter, faster. More, Chris, just..."

Chris run his thumb over the slit on an upstroke, gathering the pre-come there, and Darren buckled his hips up, crying out.

"Yes... I..."

"What, baby?" Chris asked, an edge of teasing in his voice.

Darren just whined and turned his face to hide it in Chris' neck, panting.

Chris took pity on him. After all, Darren was sick and he was supposed to be taking care of him, not making him feel worse.

He started stroking just the way he knew Darren liked it: tightening up his grip on the upstrokes and loosening it a little on the down strokes. Darren moaned appreciatively on his ear, especially when Chris pressed his finger against the vein on the underside for a few seconds.

Darren was biting his lips, trying to keep the sounds under control.

Chris licked a line across his jaw. "You can be loud if you want, honey. No one's going to hear you..."

That was enough to set Darren free: his mouth fell open and delicious moans and groans started coming out of him. "More, Chris, baby, please... – ah, just like that..."

His hips were working up against Chris' hand now and every time he moved, he brushed Chris' own erection with his ass. Chris bit a little harder than intended on his naked shoulder.

It didn't take much longer before Darren was moaning louder than before and arching off the bed, spilling on Chris' hand and his own chest. Chris worked him through it, whispering in his ear how hot he looked and how much he loved him, until Darren started shivering with the aftershock. He let go then, and allowed Darren to move just enough to cuddle against him.

"Mm," Darren said sleepily, reaching for the waistband of Chris' pants. "Your turn now..."

"No need. I sort of already did," Chris giggled. Darren looked up at him. "Oh my god, you looked really hot."

"Thank you," Darren said, dropping a kiss to his husband's chin, the closest part of him he could reach without moving. "I needed that."

"What you really need now is a nap," Chris laughed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Mm, that too..."

Chris wasn't sure how Darren could go from the sexiest man in the planet to the most adorable one in a matter of seconds, but he had to admit... it was one of the many reasons why he loved him so much.

Chris removed his clothes (he needed to get rid of his sticky mess), ignoring Darren's protests when he had to get out of bed for it, before sliding back under the blankets with him.

Darren immediately snuggled against him, his face finding its home on the crook of Chris' neck like it always did. Chris ran his fingers through his husband's curls, slowly soothing him to a peaceful sleep.

"You know," Darren mumbled when he was still in the edge of consciousness, "I actually do feel a lot better..."

Chris hummed in contentment and kissed his temple. "I'm glad, sweetheart."

Darren moved even closer, although that had seemed impossible. "Thanks for always taking such good care of me..."

Chris held him tight, reveling in the steady pound of Darren's heart against his side. He pressed his lips to his messy hair. "Anytime, Dare. Anytime."

* * *

**Some adorable Darren for this Saturday! I hope you enjoyed. Please review and let me know if you liked it!**

**There's one more one-shot written that should be up some time next week... and then it's time to go back to a new multi-chapter!**

**Have a nice weekend. Thanks for reading!**

**L.-**


	4. Upside Down

**Hey there guys! :)**

**I hope you're all having a great week. Since it's a Glee-less Thursday I thought I'd give you a new ficlet to help feel the void a little bit.**

**Title is from Jack Johnson's song, and if this little story was a scene in a movie, that song would be its soundtrack! Give it a listen while you read!**

**I own nothing and once again, I thank Wutif for being my beta!**

**One-shot summary: Darren fucking _loved_ going out with the kids (aka pointless PG rated adorableness).**

* * *

Darren smiled when Chris pulled at the lapels of his coat to bring him in for a quick kiss.

"Thank you, Dare, I really appreciate this," he said, smiling as well.

Darren dropped a second kiss, this time on his husband's cheek, before pulling away. "You're welcome. Now go get that last chapter written and don't worry about anything."

"I love you," Chris whispered, blue eyes lost in Darren's hazel ones.

"Love you, too," Darren answered softly.

Chris smiled even brighter and turned to the other four pairs of eyes staring up at him. "And I love you guys too!" He crouched to make sure Evangeline's scarf was wrapped securely around her neck and kissed her curls. "You're all going to be good for Daddy while Papa works, right?"

"Yes," Sam said proudly, as he hooked the leash on his dog's collar. Boo was trying to lick him throughout the operation and making it more difficult.

"Yes," Evangeline said, smiling in that beautiful way that Chris knew sometime not too far in the future would be breaking hearts all around.

"Yes," Oliver said as he tried to suck his twin's thumb into his mouth, from his seat in the stroller.

"No," Owen said, sitting next to his brother as he leaned, trying to grab Boo's wriggling tail.

"Owen..." Darren quirked an eyebrow at him warningly.

"Ice cream, dada?" He asked innocently.

"Are you going to be good?" Darren looked at him severely. Or tried to, since his lips were already being tugged into a smile.

"Good, dada, yes," Owen promised, sitting very straight.

"Then we may get some ice-cream," Darren said, turning back to Chris, who was chuckling.

"Okay, one more kiss for everyone!" Chris kissed the top of his kids' heads before turning to Darren once again. He hugged him. "No ice-cream, okay? It's too cold outside..." He whispered in his husband's ear.

"You go write, and I'll worry about that," Darren rolled his eyes. He moved to the front door. "Alright, everybody! If coats are on and the dog is on his leash, then let's go!"

"Bye, Papa!" Sam called as he was dragged outside with Boo. The other kids echoed his words and then they were on their way, as Chris stood by the front door of their beautiful house and watched them walk away until they turned around the corner and disappeared.

* * *

It was a beautiful autumn day, just slightly colder than it had been all week. Darren took a deep breath, smiling. He loved crisp sunny days like these.

Sam was walking Boo a few steps ahead, while Darren pushed the stroller with the twins, and Evangeline walked beside it, making sure neither of the two-year-olds was pulling shenanigans. The little boys could be terrible when they were in the mood for it. Just the day before, Darren had walked into the living room just in time to see Owen trying to drink water from a flower pot.

No wonder Chris needed peace and quiet.

His husband tried not to feel guilty that morning as he hesitantly asked Darren if he could take the kids out of the house for a couple of hours. Darren had kissed his forehead and told him not to worry about a thing. Chris looked the same way he always did when he was close to finishing a book but he couldn't quite get the the ending right. His hair stuck up in every direction, he had dark marks under his eyes, and he looked absolutely exhausted. This was Darren's least favorite part about Chris being a writer. Fortunately, it preceded his favorite part: the one where Chris finally got the book done and allowed himself to relax, which mostly included letting Darren cuddle him.

Darren fucking _loved_ going out with the kids, though. It was so much fun to find a nice spot in the park and lie together on the grass staring at the sky, or play chase-me, or eat ice-cream or anything else they wanted. And he loved how happy the kids were when they were out. They always enjoyed everything so much...

"Can I pick some flowers for Papa in the park?" Evangeline asked, looking up at him.

"Sure, baby girl. I think that's a wonderful idea," he answered, grinning.

"Can we put one in my hair, too?" Evie's eyes were big and pleading. Darren melted a little bit.

"Of course. I can braid some into your hair if you want," he said, reaching out to tug sweetly on one of her curls.

She laughed. "I'd like that, Daddy."

"Good," Darren looked up to check on his oldest son. "Sam? Doing okay there?"

"Yeah!" Sam replied, stopping at a tree when Boo started sniffing at it. "He's not that big, Dad."

"I know, I know," Darren felt another smile growing on his lips.

They walked a bit more before someone stopped them. It was a teenage girl (it was always a teenage girl) and Darren could see her eyes getting huge and excited as he and his children kept walking, approaching her on their way to a park. The girl bit her lip, but seemed to make her decision.

"Excuse me," she said timidly when they were almost next to her. "Hi, Darren. I'm a big fan of yours..."

"Hi!" He said cheerfully. "Thanks, that's so nice."

"Would it be okay to ask you for an autograph or a picture?" The girl bit her lip so hard he was afraid she was going to draw blood.

"Sure," He always liked meeting fans. Chris was a little more guarded, especially when they were out with the kids, but Darren just liked meeting people and making them happy. "Guys, stop here for a second, okay? Sam, come back, don't go so far ahead!"

Sam immediately turned around and stood next to the stroller as Darren signed an autograph.

"Your kids are really cute," the girl said timidly.

"Thanks. Would you like to have one? I sort of have my hands full," he joked.

"Hey!" Sam and Evie said at the same time.

"Just kidding, just kidding," he laughed. "Your father would kill me if I gave one away."

They took the picture next and Evangeline bossed them around ("smile more, Daddy! More!") before the girl said goodbye and walked away. They heard her squeal in the distance.

* * *

The park was only a few more streets away and once they got there, the twins excitedly pointed at the swings, so Darren took them there. Sam kept walking Boo around the swings area and Evangeline picked wild flowers from the surroundings, turning back to her dad every now and then to ask him if he liked a particular flower she found.

Darren put the twins in the toddler swings with Owen so excited he wouldn't stop kicking his feet and Oliver's face was nothing but a huge smile. Darren laughed as he started pushing them gently and soon the twins chuckles and squeals filled the air.

They asked to play in the sandbox next, so Darren put them down and watched them as they raced to get a good spot. Owen fell on his butt, but he was back on his feet before Darren even had time to move, and following his brother.

Darren took the stroller to a bench next to the sandbox and sat there to keep an eye on them. Sam gave him the leash and Boo sat at his feet, as Sam went back to the swings to push his sister, who had already picked a swing and was patiently waiting for him with her arms full of flowers.

Darren watched them, contented with the moment of peace, enjoying the autumn breeze stirring his curls. He scratched the back of Boo's ears and then snapped a few pictures on his phone to show Chris later.

When Evangeline got tired of the swing, she sat next to Darren and let him braid her hair, putting a few flowers here and there, "like Rapunzel, Daddy!"

Owen apparently decided that sand looked interesting enough to eat, so he grabbed a handful and started for his mouth. Darren looked up just in time.

"Owen! Put that down!" He said, using his Daddy-doesn't-like-this voice.

Owen blinked at him and poked his tongue out, still trying to touch the sand on the tip of it without being noticed.

"Owen!" Darren gave the flowers back to Evangeline and stood up, walking to his son with his sternest expression. "What did Dad say?"

"Owen!" Owen repeated sharply, in what sounded like a perfect impersonation.

Darren had to bite his tongue not to laugh. "I _said_ we were only getting ice-cream if you were good. Are you being good?"

Owen smiled innocently and let the sand fall back onto the box. "Yes, Daddy! Very good!"

"Mm, I'm not so sure about that," he crouched next to the twins. "Don't eat sand, Owen. It could make you sick if you do. So don't do that, okay?"

Owen nodded and stood up. Now that he couldn't eat the sand, he seemed to have lost interest.

"Dad!" Sam called, jogging back to him. "Can we get a pretzel?" He pointed to a vendor who was walking by with his cart.

"Sure, buddy," Darren said. He fished his wallet out of his pocket and gave Sam enough money to buy a pretzel for everyone.

They all sat together on the grass, eating, and then they laid back to watch the clouds. Oliver and Owen snuggled against Darren's chest (they were getting too heavy to have both of them on top of him at the same time) and Evangeline and Sam leaned against his sides.

* * *

It didn't take long for the twins to fall asleep on Darren. He ran his fingers through their soft hair, and let Sam and Evie go back to playing. Sam started rolling around on the grass with Boo and Evangeline found another girl at the swings, who was wearing a princess crown, and that sort of meant BFFs in Evie's vocabulary.

Darren took a deep breath and smiled. He loved this. He loved his children and he loved seeing them happy and safe. He loved his husband and the idea that they would all be going home to him later. And damn, he _really_ loved the twins when they slept.

He felt his phone buzzing in his pocket, so he carefully fished it out, trying not to wake up the boys. Oliver shifted a little, but Darren pressed his hand against his little back and his lips to the top of his head, and he relaxed again.

It was a text from Chris: "_Everything alright?"_

Darren smiled and rolled his eyes. "_Everything's perfect. Stop worrying and write write write."_

The reply came back almost immediately: "_I AM writing. But I wish I were there with you :)"_

_"Beautiful"_ was Darren's next text.

_"Oh shush."_

Darren smiled even bigger. _"You are. So you shush."_

_"Says the most beautiful man in the world."_

_"Why are you texting me instead of writing? Go get your work done so I can go home and kiss you."_

_"So bossy ;)"_

_"I am not turning this into sexting when I'm buried under a pile of twins."_

_"Aww. Did they fall asleep?"_

_"Yes. Now go write."_

_"Fine. Love you."_

Darren smiled as he typed the last text. _"Love you more."_

Chris' last text was simply a heart icon.

* * *

The kids' energy was endless after they recharged. Once the twins woke up, they wanted to go to the slide and the swings all over again. Sam had probably run across the park five hundred times, followed by a very happy Boo, and Evangeline had picked enough flowers to fill all the vases in the house.

Darren was _tired_.

There was a time when he was the Energizer bunny, but obviously that was starting to wear off with the years (except when sex was involved. He always had enough energy for sex). Right now, all he wanted to do was go back home, take a shower and cuddle with his husband on the couch and watch a movie.  
It was time for the kids' afternoon snack and Darren knew that if he bought them more junk food, Chris was going to kill him, so instead they collected their stuff to go back home. The twins protested (Owen actually held onto the swing screaming for five minutes), but soon enough they were back in the stroller, and the five of them were making their way out of the park.

"Come on, guys, we can always come back next weekend," Darren said when Oliver and Owen were still crying. "Don't you want to go home and see Papa?"

"Do you think he's done with the book already?" Sam asked, looking up at his father.

"I don't know," Darren answered. "I hope so!"

"Will he let us read it now that it's done?" Evangeline smiled at him, expectantly.

"You'll have to ask him, baby girl."

It was Evangeline who saw it first. Darren saw her walk away from the stroller and immediately called for her.

"Evie, walk next to me!"

But then he saw it, too. There was a box on the edge of the sidewalk, and Evangeline was leaning to look inside.

It took Evangeline only two seconds to react.

"Daddy! Daddy, look!" She said, eyes wide as she pointed at the box frantically.

"What is it?" He asked, worried.

And then he made the mistake of peeking into the box.

Three baby kittens were curled up together, trying to get warm. There was one white and grey, one completely grey, and one completely black.

And Evangeline was already picking one up.

"Evie..."

"They're so cold!" She cried, alarmed. The kitten immediately tried to find shelter against her coat.

"They need some warm milk," Sam said, approaching the box, thoughtfully. "And maybe Sunday can cuddle them and they'll think she's their mom..."

"Yes!" Evangeline exclaimed, looking at her brother as if he were the most brilliant boy in the world. "Sunday loves cuddling!"

"Guys, I don't think Papa is going to like this..." Darren muttered, but the kids were ignoring him.

"Why would people abandon these cute kitties?" Evangeline said, sighing sadly.

"I don't know..."

"Guys," Darren said, trying to get their attention once again.

"Look, Daddy!" Evangeline said, thrusting the grey one at him. "It's shivering!"

It was true. The tiny kitten cried when the breeze hit its thin body. Darren could feel its little, fragile ribs against his finger.

And he knew he was doomed.

"Chris is going to kill me," he whispered. He unwrapped the scarf from around his neck and put the kitten in it.

Darren wrapped all three kittens in his scarf, making sure it was tight enough to keep them warm but not to hurt them.

"The box isn't too big, I think it'll be better to take them home in it," he commented and Sam hurried to give him the box so he could put the scarf-wrapped kittens back in it.

"I want kitty!" Owen said from the stroller. "Daddy, gimme!"

Darren picked up the box and kneeled in front of the stroller to let the twins see the kittens.

"Can I hug it?" Oliver asked, reaching out for them.

"Not now, Oli," Darren answered, kissing his sons' foreheads. "We'll take them home and once they're better, you can play with them, okay?"

"Are we going to keep them?" Evangeline asked, already jumping up and down in excitement.

"I don't know, baby girl," Darren said sincerely. He rolled his eyes. "Gosh, it's like we have an addiction. We really need to stop adopting stuff."

"Hey!" Sam and Evangeline said, smacking his arm playfully, making him laugh.

"Just kidding, guys." Darren stood up and secured the box under one arm so he could keep pushing the stroller with the other. "We better go home."

* * *

Chris looked at his computer screen and smiled. The book was finally done. Finally. He reread the last few paragraphs to check it and then stood up and stretched his arms over his head to relieve the knots.  
He loved this, the feeling of achievement even if the book was far from being done. But the writing was over, at least for now, and that was a relief.

He left his office and walked to the kitchen, thinking about drinking some coffee to get back some energy before Darren and the kids were back. Maybe they could go have dinner somewhere nice to celebrate the fact that he could dedicate a few weeks solely to his family until he had to go back to work on something else. Sam wanted to see the new Spiderman movie and Evangeline wanted to go shopping for a new dress and he knew the twins had a doctor appointment sometime next week for a checkup, so maybe he could take them for a Happy Meal after. And Darren. Oh the things he wanted to do with Darren now that he would have time, now that he wouldn't have to stay up until the early morning to get some writing done...

He looked up as he reached for the pot of coffee, his eyes wandering out the window and instantly finding five people approaching the house. He smiled as he poured the coffee in his "Best Papa in the World" mug and decided to meet them at the front door.

Chris opened the door and leaned against the wall, still smiling, until something else caught his eye. Darren was carrying a little box, a box that Evangeline seemed very interested in and that had Oliver and Owen squirming in the stroller, trying to twist around to look at it, too.

"Ssh," Darren was saying, obviously not noticing Chris was standing right there. "We need a strategy, okay? I want to see all your best pouts and adorable…–"

"Watcha doing, Dare?" Chris called from the door, biting his lip to hold back a bark of laughter when Darren's eyes went wide and he stopped in his tracks.

"Oh! Chris! Honey! Hi! So good to see you!" He exclaimed, smiling brightly, _too_ brightly in fact.

"Hi, sweetheart. What's in the box?" Chris pulled away from the door and took a few steps towards them suspiciously.

"Nothing!" Darren said innocently. Evie started tugging on his sleeve.

"Tell him, Daddy, tell him!" She stage-whispered.

"Tell me what?" Chris quirked an eyebrow.

"We found half-frozen baby kittens, Chris, they could've _died_!" Darren said dramatically, his beautiful hazel eyes wide and pleading.

Evangeline face-palmed. "Daddy..." She whined. "Really? _Really_?"

Chris chuckled at that. Their little girl sometimes didn't really sound like their little girl anymore.

"We did find them abandoned, Papa," Sam informed, looking concerned and unhooking Boo's leash so he could go into the house and have some water. "Dad wrapped them in his scarf. They were really cold..."

Chris peeked into the box Darren was holding protectively. "Oh, look at that. Poor things..."

Darren blinked. "You're not mad?"

"How can I be mad that you guys saved some poor kittens?" Chris kissed his cheek. "Next time let the kids handle the situation, though. You're a little over-dramatic, darling."

"Over-dra– ... Hey!" Darren frowned, offended. "I'm the adult here."

"Barely, Peter Pan," Chris put the box in Sam's arms and then wrapped his arms around Darren's neck. "But I love you just like this."

Darren smiled brightly. "I love you more."

"We'll see about that," Chris purred in his ear, before pulling away and clapping his hands together. "Okay! Let's give those kittens some warmth and milk and we'll take them to the vet tomorrow!"

"So we can keep them?" Evangeline asked, eyes wide and pleading.

Chris kissed her curls. "Sure, honey, we can keep them."

"Yes!" Sam said happily. "Come on, Evie! Let's feed them!"

The two older kids hurried into the house with the kittens and Chris leaned to give his twins a kiss. Both extended their arms, asking to be held. Darren and Chris took them from the stroller, hugging them tightly.

"Did you guys have fun?" Chris asked as they walked towards the house.

"Yes!" Darren answered, still smiling. "Did you finish writing?"

"Just a few minutes ago," Chris replied, as he pushed the front door closed.

"Then you're all ours for the rest of the night!" Darren exclaimed, enthusiasm filling his voice.

"Oh honey," Chris said as they put the twins down so they could go see the kittens, too. "I'm all yours tonight and every night until forever."

Darren kissed him, wrapping an arm around his waist, and then guided him to the kitchen, following the sound of their children's voices.

* * *

**So there it is. Just a little fluffiness for your Thursday. I love reading about Darren with kids, so writing this was really fun.**

**This is the last one-shot for now! I'll start publishing my new multi-chapter next week. But there will be more of this eventually, so stay tuned :)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**L.-**


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